it was 50 degrees here today. that’s a whole 40 degrees warmer than last week. all i wanted to do was get out and enjoy the beautiful day esp. after seeing all my san diego friends enjoying the day at the beach! (i may have to avoid facebook until spring to avoid the envy stirred in heart) so how to Coloradans enjoy a beautiful winter day. WE HIKE. Lucky for us there some awesome trails going up the mountain behind our house. The girls grandma and i packed a lunch and headed out. after 4 miles of dirt road we arrived at the tiny trail marker, that would lead us 2 miles up to the summit of Mt.Herman. I didn’t know how far we’d get esp. with a 28lb toddler who refuse any sort of carrier or backpack. The trail was steep and icy. I underestimated my need for boots and mittens. I also underestimated the stubbornness of Meadow. She refused to be carried and had to walk just like her sisters. It was a slow climb, but enjoyable. We made it to the top!  After a short break enjoying the view from above and trying to find our house below, we headed down. Let the real fun begin. We slid alot of the way on our bums and Meadow had used all her energy on the climb up, so I was stuck with extra baggage. my left bicep will never be the same. We returned to our car with bruised bottoms, fun memories and the sense of accomplishment. It may not have been the beach in January but God has much to teach us by climbing mountains.